INDONESIAN FIRM BUILDS ARBOREAL BRIDGES FOR SUMATRAN PRIMATES

JAKARTA, Nov 30 (Bernama-ANTARA) -- PT Agincourt Resources, the operator of the Martabe Gold Mine in North Sumatra, has set up 13 arboreal bridges fitted with camera traps for tree-dwelling animals to connect forest fragments within the gold mine’s area, reported ANTARA news agency.

Through arboreal bridges, primates can freely move to other areas, forage, and breed without being hindered by human activities, said Syaiful Anwar, the company's superintendent of environmental site support, in a statement issued on Saturday.

“Arboreal bridges give flexibility to primates to adapt to environmental changes while reducing the risk of human-animal conflict,” he said.

The innovation is the result of research titled "Arboreal Bridges for Sustainable Human-Primates Coexistence within Ecologies Adaptation at Martabe Gold Mine," presented at the 9th Asian Primates Symposium at North Sumatra University, held from November 23–27.

Between 2023 and 2024, six species were observed using the arboreal bridges: the black Sumatran langur (Presbytis sumatrana), the macaque (Macaca nemestrina), the long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis), the gray langur (Trachypithecus cristatus), the black giant squirrel (Ratufa bicolor), and the Javanese small-toothed palm civet (Arctogalidia trivirgata).

Agincourt Resources’ environmental manager, Mahmud Subagya, said that the research and innovation are evidence of the company’s commitment to preserving Sumatra’s biodiversity while ensuring sustainable mining practices.

The project will not only benefit wildlife but also surrounding communities and future generations, he added.

The company has also been periodically rehabilitating and reclaiming former mining sites in the areas where it operates in Batang Toru, Tapanuli Selatan, North Sumatra.

It has also conducted a survey of flora and fauna biodiversity in the forest area around the mining sites; enriched local plants and primate feed in several conservation areas; planned the construction of research stations; and developed a mycology laboratory, biodiversity laboratory, and microbiology laboratory.

-- BERNAMA-ANTARA